Yeh, you can go boo and hiss your own selves, that there headline is pretty darned good – if I do say so myself.
Almost as good as these sammich buns, made with the same dough I use for no-fuss French bread (hence the kinda cunnin’ (I think) blog post title).
I had a fresh(ish) batch of Terryaki sauce in the fridge, a can of pineapple slices in the pantry, some pub burgers in the freezer, and a taste for Banzai Burgers for dinner.
Now, what to do for the buns?
My not-just-for-burgers rolls are very nice, but I kinda wish they had a bit more body to them, especially for a burger as laden with sloppy, oozing toppings goodness as a Banzai.
Then I got to thinking about Emeril’s French bread recipe…
if I cut it in half, I would have more than enough dough to make burger buns for the two of us, but…
would it work?
Man, would it ever – Check out this recipe and be prepared for burger bun greatness!
INGREDIENTS
•2-1/4 tsp yeast
•2-1/2 tsp sugar
•1 cup warm (about 110º) water
•3/4 tsp salt
•2-1/2 cup flour
•Yellow cornmeal
•1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp water
Stir the yeast and the sugar into the warm water for two minutes in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Add the salt and the flour and mix on low speed just until the dough begins to come together.
Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to mix until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl and begins to crawl up the dough hook.
Raise the mixer with the dough on the hook, add some olive oil to the mixing bowl, then pull the dough off the hook, shape into a ball, and roll in the oiled bowl so all sides are coated.
Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size – 90 minutes should do it, but if you need more time, don’t fret – the dough will be ready when you are.
Punch the risen dough down, turn out onto a well floured board, then stretch out into a rectangle.
Using a large biscuit cutter, cut out six dough rounds and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Roll the leftover dough out again on the board, cut another six rounds, and place them on top of the first six, pressing a bit so they stick together.
Heat the oven to 400º and place your pizza stone on the bottom rack.
Sprinkle the dough rounds with a bit of corn meal, cover them with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside to rise for 45 minutes while the oven and the pizza stone get nicely warmed.
When ready to bake, whisk the egg yolk with the water and brush over to top and sides of each roll.
Place a shall pan of water on the pizza stone, then place the rolls on the oven rack above and bake for 20 minutes, until they are golden brown.
Let cool for a bit on a rack before using.
I will admit that they look a little like large biscuits, but these are all French rolls, baby, with a slightly crisp crust and an airy interior, but with enough heft to stand up to the biggest of burgers or sammich fillings.
Forgettabout your store-bought buns; slice a couple of these babies in half, then toast them just a little bit and enjoy.
These puppies will stay fresh in a zipper bag for a couple of days, and are every bit as good slathered with a bit of garlic butter, toasted, and served under a seafood Newburg as they are with burgers.
But, that’s a post for another day…